Mary Cope
Once winter hits, all the insects we see during the summer seemingly disappear. Many of us wonder where they go; well, they till surround us and our everyday lives.
Insects find places that tend to be dry and sheltered, such as places under leaves, in small holes in trees, and in nooks and crannies of buildings. I have also found them lying in the snow under windows, moving sluggishly during thaws. Insects such as butterflies simply can’t handle the cold weather, so they migrate to places that are warmer. One example is the Monarch Butterfly, which migrates to Mexico during the winter months.
Unlike these butterflies, honeybees stay in the cold climates during the winter. Honeybees are fuzzy and can keep somewhat warm due to the fuzz they have on their bodies. They also stay huddled close together and vibrate to generate heat, almost like a bee shiver. To do this, all of the bees stand pressed next to each other and pump their wing muscles. They care for each other and feed off the stores of honey they produced all summer. The bees manage to keep their hive at approximately 93°F all winter long to keep the young bees, still in the honeycomb cells, alive.
All of these insects hunker down for the winter, but don’t worry! Come spring, you will soon see them reappear!
